Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Psalm 65 - Presence in Praise

Psalm 65:1-13 NIV
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 
You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior,
 the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,
 who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves,
 and the turmoil of the nations. 
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
 where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain,
 for so you have ordained it. 
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
 you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain;
 they shout for joy and sing.

Psalm 65 is a beautiful liturgy of praise. There's no asking here. There is no complaint, no lament. There is only the celebration of the God known to Israel.
God is praised first as praiseworthy. It's right that people gather to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem, at the site of His dwelling place on earth.
God answers the prayers of the people.
God forgives their overwhelming burden of sin.
Israel's God is the hope of all the ends of the earth. He is yours. He is mine.
God is praised as creator and sustainer. God formed the earth and filled it with wonderful works. He stilled the chaotic primordial waters, and He stills the chaos between nations. God cares for the land given to the children of Abraham, watering it and providing an abundance of life giving produce.
All God's creation sings with praise from the rising to the setting of the sun.
Look at the list of reasons to praise the Lord. What list would you make?
God manifests His presence in praise. Join the song! Join the worshiping throngs of the people of God throughout the world and down through the ages. Be blessed as His chosen and be filled with the good things of His house.

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